Bath-tub attachment



('No Model.)

' M..H. WELLES. BATH TUB ATTACHMENT.

Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

' /NVENT/f:

ATTORNEYS Il" L UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

MATTHIAS H. XV ELLES, OF ELMIRA, NEV YORK.

BATH-TUB ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,206, dated December29, 1891.

Application filed April 16, 1891. Serial No. 389.512. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LMATTHIAS H.WELLEs, of Elmira, in the county of Chemungand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bath-TubAttachment, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention is an improvement in bodyrubbing attachments for bath tubs.The

construction of the device is hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l represents alongitudinal sectional elevation of a bath-tub withmy invention in one of its forms applied and showing the figure of aperson as if in the act of using the attachment. Fig. 2 is a plan of thetub with its friction or rubbing attachment; Fig. 3, a transversesection of said attachment. Fig. 4 is a back View of the rubbingattachment under a modified form of construction; Fig. 5, a verticalsection of the same, and Fig. 6 a transverse section thereof.

A indicates a bath-tub, preferably a short one, or what is known as aFrench tub, which, whileit has a sloping back, compels the bather, iflan adult, to occupy a reclining sitting position, with his feet pressedagainst the front or lower end of the tub to constitute a foot-rest. Iprefer this style of tub, inasmuch as it dispenses with a specialfootrest, and enables the bather to use his feet and legs or limbs toadvantage in cleansing the more inaccessible portions of his body, ashereinbefore referred to, by my special friction or rubbing attachment,instead of as in an ordinary long bath-tub, which would take in the fulllength of the person in a recumbent position, depending upon his armsand hands alone to get the necessary purchase or pressure and requisitemotions of the body to effect the cleaning of special parts of the bodyby the rubbing attachment.

B B indicate the friction or rubbing attachment, which, while it is maderemovable, should be held at a suitable angle to the horizon Within theback end of the tub, and should be provided with suitable means forsecuring it in such position, as, for instance,

with attached inclined screw-bolts Z) at itsupper end, formed' with ashoulder to rest rubber or other soft and flexible or fibrous material,that will present a good friction or rubbing surface, and, in the secondplace, of a back-support B to said covering that will admit of thecovering being readily taken off and of both its front and back sidesbeing cleaned. The covering or facing-piece B is stretched across andsuitably secured to the marginal portions of the support B', and so thatwhen the back of the bather rests against it it will yield more or lessand form aslightly-concave seat or support to his back. Thus in Figs. l,2, and 3 of the drawings the support B is made of a board oftransversely concave form on its face, which might be made either smoothor roughened, or the rubber covering B have corrugations e in its faceto give a more-effective friction or rubbing surface. When the back ofthe bather rests against this friction or rubbing covering, the latterconforms to the concavity in the board. The covering B may be secured tothe board over the edges of the saine by tacks f,which willadmit of itsready removal when required to clean its back; or, instead of theconcave board, an open frame, made of either Wood or metal, may be usedto form the support B to the covering, as shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6,and the covering B be hitched onto or over the sides of said frame bypins g. This construction exposes the back of the covering to be cleanedwithout detaching it from its support and forms a hollow rest for theback of the bather.

By means of this bath-tub attachment the bather is enabled to applyfriction to those portions of his person which are ordinarilyinaccessible, the feet and limbs, by their pressure against the lowerend of the tub, causing the trunk or body to be shoved up IOO and down,he rolling on his sides alternately to apply friction to the backs ofthe arms, shoulder, and hips or other parts of his person by contactwith thc covering` of the friction or rubbing attachment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. As an article of manufacture, the bodyrubbing attachment forbathetubs, which is constructed of a rectangular frame and a flexiblecovering I3, applied to its face and detacliably secured to its sides,as shown and described.

2. As an article of manufacture, the bodyrubbing attachment for bathtubs, constructed of arectangularframe having screwbolts attached to oneend, and a flexible covering B, secured detacliably to the sides ol saidframe, as shown and described.

3. The body-rubbing attachment for bathtubs, composed of the rectangularopen frame, having pins g projecting inward from the in ner sides of theside bars, and the flexible detachable covering B, which is drawn aroundthe side bars and hitched on said pins, as shown and described.

4c. The combination, with a bath-tub, of the removable body-rubbingattachment, consisting of the frame A, and a flexible facecovering Bdetachably secured to it, and screw-bolts and nuts applied to the upperend of said frame for securing it rigcdly to the tub, yet permitting itsconvenient detacl11ncnt,as shown and described.

MATTHIAS Il. WELLES.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN C. WELLEs, lIARoLD SMITH.

